When the pedigree includes a two-time Grade 1 winner, much is to be expected.
Godolphin homebred filly Loved delivered on her potential Friday afternoon at Keeneland by crushing a field of overmatched maidens by 11½ lengths going 1 1/16 miles in the fourth race for trainer Brendan Walsh. Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, she covered the distance was 1:44.55 on a fast track.
By Medaglia d'Oro out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, Loved is a 4-year-old half sister to $2,001,812-earner and six-time graded stakes winner Maxfield, who also was trained by Walsh. Maxfield's first stakes victory came in his lone Keeneland start when he scored a 5½-length romp in the 2019 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1). The son of Street Sense also captured the 2021 Clark (G1) at Churchill Downs.
“She is nice, and she and Maxfield are both good-looking horses,” Walsh said of Loved, who returned to the races after a 13-month layoff from her career debut in a sprint at Gulfstream Park. “We have always liked her. She had to make us wait, and hopefully it will work out well.”
Walsh said Loved might join his string at Churchill Downs “at some point.”
“There is an allowance race there in three weeks, but that may be too quick back,” Walsh said.
Loved's victory started a three-win afternoon for Walsh. It marked the second triple for Walsh in two years; the other came on Toyota Blue Grass Day in 2022 when his trio was highlighted by the victory of Prevalence in the Commonwealth (G3).
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